Today we’d like to introduce you to Roger Palmateer
Hi Roger, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My wife (Mo Palmateer) originally opened the store back in 1946, and we met after I spent a tour in Vietnam (served from 1969 to 1970). After getting married, we ran the store together and made Fullerton Music Centers a part of Fullerton’s development as a hub for music. She passed away in 2016, but she lives on through Fullerton Music Centers! We are one of the cofounders for Fullerton’s Day of Music event held annually in June!
“I married the boss *chuckle*” – Roger Palmateer
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The store has moved locations 3 times so far, with our most recent move in 2023! The struggles have been really moving our inventory, our history, and our customers to the new location. Luckily, my employees have done a great job of assisting me in this difficult endeavor, and we have settled into our new location quite well! We expect to host this year’s Day of Music and hopefully continue the magic of Fullerton Music Centers!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As Fullerton locals, we serve our local community by providing products, repair services (for almost any instrument and with a professional luthier, Eugene Garbis!), instrument rentals, lessons (provided by our excellent teaching staff), practice rooms, and an area for live music. As you can see, we provide many services, and we are known for all of these! We also host free drum circles every Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm (drums are provided!) and a free ukulele session every 2nd Saturday of the month (3 pm to 6 pm)! On top of this we also provide donations to local schools in the area along with colleges!
Our products are very diverse as we carry guitars, drums, keyboards, band instruments, sheet music, and accessories for all these items! As Fullerton locals, we do carry products from companies that started in Fullerton, such as G&L and Fender! We even have an online store via Reverb (https://reverb.com/shop/rogers-boutique-46)!
Unlike other music stores, we do our best to provide a setting that is friendly and laid back for our customers. Music can be intimidating, and having a casual setting is a great way to allow musicians of all types to walk through our doors! All musicians are welcome, and our staff are all active musicians who can help guide those starting a new instrument or looking to improve their sound! There is no judging here, and all are welcome! As an institution that has been around for more than 75 years, Fullerton Music Centers has been serving generations of locals; there is no greater joy when we see a parent tell their child that they have taken lessons here as their child walks the same musical path their parents walked. Fullerton Music Centers is not just a store but a generational gift that passes on to the next! Our motto is “Long after childhood toys are gone, the gift of music lingers on,” and we do our best to live up to this motto.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Keeping the dream of music alive. A lot of small music shops have closed down in the past, luckily for us we are surrounded by music and history here in Fullerton. We hope to continue to serve our community and give back to the music culture in which we built our store around. Nothing would be possible without the continued support from our community and fellow music lovers. Whoever comes through our doors will be met with respect and kindness; we treat our customers as if we have known them for years.
We take pride in our quality of work here. We have a team full of instrument repair techs that can do the job you want. As much as we are a business, we make sure our customers come first. Whether it is just a simple restring or a full restoration, we will have you covered.
Overall, since we have been around in the music world for a long time now, our goal is to keep music alive, and what does that mean? We want to create a space for musicians to network and make memories that will last a lifetime. Music is the universal language, and nothing will ever change that.
Pricing:
- Guitar Restrings and Cleaning: $30
- Guitar Setups: $60
- Professional Luthier Services: Price determined after assessment
- Electronic Soldering: $40 (per hour)
- Brass/Woodwinds Adjustment: Price determined after assessment
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mosfullertonmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosfullertonmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MosFullertonMusicCenters
- Other: https://reverb.com/shop/rogers-boutique-46
